Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at Swachh Kumbh, Swachh Aabhaar programme in Prayagraj
Jai Mother Ganga!
Jai Mother Yamuna!
Jai Mother Saraswati!
Jai Prayagraj!
My dear brothers and sisters!
My greetings to the sacred city of Prayagraj and the people of Prayagraj! I feel really grateful to be back once again in this land of Prayag. The last time I had been here for the Kumbh Mela, I had got the opportunity to worship on the banks of Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati and to see the sacred Akshayvat. This time I have got the ultimate opportunity to take a holy dip and worship in Sangam.
Friends,
Prayagraj has an age-old relationship with penance. For the past few months, crores of people are doing meditation and penance here. Everybody can feel the impact of penance in every part of Prayagraj. There are Hathyogis, Tapyogis as well as Mantrayogis in Kumbh and among them are my Karmyogis. The Karmyogis are those who are engaged in the arrangements of the Mela, who have provided various facilities to the devotees by working hard day in and day out. I pay tribute to our brother Rajendra Gautam of NDRF, who has laid down his life for saving the lives of the devotees. I also extend my heartfelt condolances to his family. These Karmyogis also include those boatmen who have safely taken the devotees worshipping Mother Ganga to their destination. The Karmyogis also include the local population of Prayagraj who had started their hard work several months before the Mela actually started.
Friends,
The Karmyogis also include sanitation workers and swachhagrahis who with their efforts have publicized about the sanitation work in the vast area of Kumbh before the world. A place where more than 20-22 crore people have congregated for the past 5-6 weeks, making arrangements for the sanitation work for that temporary system is a huge responsibility. My friends! You have proved that there is nothing impossible in this world!
Brothers and sisters,
Just a few days ago, I had got the opportunity to meet such Karmyogis. Those engaged in the work of sanitation are my brothers and sisters who have been taking care of their responsibility in the kumbh area for several weeks. They used to wake up early in the morning and sleep late at night. They used to clean the garbage and the toilets throughout the day. They were engaged in this task. They were silently working without catching anyone's attention and without any appreciation. But I used to receive constant updates and information in Delhi about the hard work of these Karmyogis and swachhagrahis. The people who I have met and even the media are praising the sanitation work in Kumbh. My brothers and sisters who are engaged in the sanitation work, you deserve these praises and appreciation.
Brothers and sisters,
Every person goes through experiences that help him grow and transforms him into a better person. Most of these moments are the most memorable ones. This day is such a moment for me. Today I have washed the feet of my sanitation worker brothers and sisters and offered 'charan vandana' and this moment will remain with me forever. I hope that their blessings and affection and your blessings and affection are always with me and I pray that I may continue to serve you like this.
Friends,
Really, you have left no stone unturned in transforming the 'Divine Kumbh' into a 'Magnificent Kumbh'. No one could even guess how my sanitation worker brothers and sisters have worked in the fair grounds that have more than 20 thousand dustbins and more than 1 lakh toilets. But it's their hard work that has turned this year's Kumbh into Swachh Kumbh. The contribution of every sanitation worker is commendable for taking care of such a vast arrangement. We have constituted a Swachh Samman Kosh for your contribution. With the help of this Fund, whoever has worked in this Kumbh Mela, you all and your families will receive aid in special circumstances. This, in a way, is a token of gratitude and affection towards you for this service on behalf of the people of the country.
Friends,
Swachh Kumbh has been organized at a time when the nation is celebrating 150th birth anniversary of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. About 100 years ago, Gandhi ji had himself expressed his desire to have Swachh Kumbh when he had visited Haridwar Kumbh. With the cooperation of the people of India, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is moving rapidly towards its goals. The nation is swiftly moving towards declaring itself Open Defecation Free on 2nd October this year. And I believe that all the Swachhagrahis of Prayagraj have emerged as an inspiration for the entire nation.
Brothers and sisters,
When it comes to cleanliness, the Kumbh visitors this time were discussing about the serenity of Mother Ganga. I have been getting feedback about people’s experiences for the last one - one and a half months through social media. Today I have personally experienced that. I have been to Prayagraj several times before but never have I seen such serenity in Ganga water.
Friends,
This cleanliness of Gangaji is an example of positive efforts and Namami Gange. Under this programme, 32 drains flowing into Ganga have been sealed. The water is allowed to flow back into the Ganga only after treating the polluted water in a Sewage Treatment Plant.
Friends,
The government is committed to make this mission a success! Several Swachhagrahis are already making their contributions to Namami Gange and are also assisting financially. A couple of days back I too have made a small contribution. I have donated the amount that I had received as Seoul Peace Prize, about Rs.1 crore 30 Lakh, to the Namami Gange Mission. During the last four and a half years, whatever gifts that I have received as the Prime Minister, I have auctioned them and dedicated the amount to the service of Mother Ganga.
Friends,
Our boatmen too are the devoted protectors of Mother Ganga. Prayagraj and boatmen have an age-old relationship. Even Maryada Purshottam Ram's Ramayana will not be complete without the boatmen. The saviour of the world was saved by these sailors. The relationship between you and me is also very strong. You consider yourselves to be servants of Lord Rama while I consider myself to be your Pradhan Sevak or Prime Servant. You consider yourselves to be sons of Mother Ganga while I am at your service at the call of Mother Ganga. Now tell me, isn't there a strong bond between you and me? The way you are taking care of the devotees and guiding them with such devotion is indeed commendable. Without you, managing such a grand event would have been difficult. Once again, I salute my sailor brothers.
Brothers and sisters,
There are many firsts in this year's Kumbh congregation. For the first time the devotees got a chance to see the Akshayvat along with the ritual bath in Sangam. The Akshayvat was kept enclosed within the fort since independence. This time the government has ended the distance between the devotees and the Akshayvat. I was told that everyday lakhs of devotees were able to see the Akshayvat and the Saraswati Kumbh.
Brothers and sisters,
The last time when I had come here, I had said that this year's Kumbh would be a blend of spirituality, devotion and modernity. Today I am glad that you all with your hard work have accomplished this. The way you have linked this place of meditation with modern technology and have created a wonderful confluence, has also drawn everyone's attention. In a way, this Kumbh Congregation will be remembered as Digital Kumbh.
Friends,
This congregation worked out in a safe and peaceful way due to the grace of Prayagraj, blessings of the sages and saints, a well-placed system and your discipline. I have seen that the people are praising the role of U.P police in Kumbh. Your lost and found department reunited the children, adults or the elderly with their families in just a few hours. At the same time you have also successfully recovered lost items and mobile phones. I also congratulate the security forces for the same.
I realize that there might have been several occasions during Kumbh when you would have been very exhausted; you might not have got a chance to take rest. But you prioritized the requirements of Kumbh without paying any heed to your personal issues. I was also told that in the Kumbh area more than 8000 Seva-mitras have also worked day in and day out.
Friends,
When Kumbh is arranged in Prayagraj, then the entire Prayag becomes Kumbh. Even the people of Prayagraj are elevated to a similar spiritual position. The role of the people of Prayagraj in developing Prayagraj into a beautiful city and making successful arrangements for Kumbh has also inspired the nation.
Friends,
The facilities developed in Kumbh this time with your cooperation are permanent. Previously, all the arrangements made for Kumbh used to be temporary in nature and most of the time the facilities used to end with the Kumbh. This time permanent arrangements have also been made that will boost the infrastructure of Prayagraj for a long time. People are talking about the new airport terminal that was constructed within 11 months here. The facilities such as roads, bridges, electricity or the STPs built along with water supply will stop the flow of polluted water into Sangam for several years.
Kumbh is a symbol of cleanliness and prosperity along with devotion and the spirit of service. This has been the effort of the government. Once again, I congratulate the officials of the UP Government and all the departments of the Central and the state Government for the success of Kumbh Congregation.
Brothers and sisters,
For ages, the Kumbh Congregation used to conclude with some social message. This tradition ceased to exist in between and it continued to remain primarily a religious event. But this time, the Kumbh Congregation has sent out a strong message of sanitation and hygiene to the nation besides the message of divinity and magnificence. It has also undertaken public education. And I believe that in the future, whenever a religious, social or political event is organized, nobody will compromise on cleanliness. This message was delivered as a result of your hard work.
Today my life is fulfilled. I seek out blessings of the saints and the sages and I keep visiting them. But today you are my ascetic. You are the true devotee. With the blessings and teachings of Saints and sages, I am present before you. And our scriptures say -
ना कामे राज्यपम न मोक्षम न पुनर्भवम।
कामे दुख तप्तोना प्राणिणार्तशम ।।
Our ancestors have given us the message that we must serve the poor and the distressed for the welfare of the mankind. I feel extremely grateful that this Kosh will aid the families of the sailors, the sanitation workers and the people in the junior levels of the police services. Many congratulations and my best wishes to you all!
Thank you.